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Much of Oklahoma Without Power; The Clinton Strategy; How Accurate Are the Polls?
Aired December 15, 2007 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello everyone, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Right now in the NEWSROOM, brace yourself for a winter one-two punch. Snow in the Plains turns into a real Nor'easter. We're tracking the storm.
Also, would it take a miracle for Hillary Clinton to win the Iowa caucuses? Wait until you hear what her husband said. We've got that story and a whole lot more from the campaign trail.
Plus -- trouble in toyland. Parents still shopping for their kids, but what's safe? We're going beyond the fear to offer you solutions.
First, our top story -- weather. A storm that dumped a foot of snow on Kansas this morning is now moving east. Watches and warnings stretch all the way into New England as the nation endures its second major winter storm in a week. Snow caused flight delays and cancellations at Chicago's O'Hare. Look at the live picture right now. Pretty blustery looking, one of the nation's busiest airports.
Early tomorrow the storm could reach New England which is still cleaning up from a previous storm. Oklahoma largely avoided the brunt of the latest storm, but it is still feeling the after effects of the recent ice storm there. Tens of thousands of power customers are still waiting for their service to be restored.
CNN national correspondent Keith Oppenheim is in Oklahoma City where still a little snowfall but it's nothing like before.
KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's true. The snowfall today sort of feels like a Christmas movie set. But the timing is really the problem. You were talking about the ice storm that we had this week, Fredricka.
As you walk with me, take a look at this house. You can see what the damage has been. All sorts of limbs that have knocked down power lines and landed, in this case, on someone's home, making for just a big mess to clean up.
Power and utility crews are working very hard right now to try to get the power back online. Earlier in the week, there was something like 600,000 homes and businesses that didn't have any electricity. Now it's more like 125,000.
And the snow that we're getting today is slowing those recovery efforts. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OPPENHEIM (voice-over): Oklahomans are bracing for their second winter storm in less than a week while still reeling from the worst blackout in state history. Twenty-three deaths have been blamed on last weekend's ice storm, and 100,000 homes and businesses are still without power.
CYNTHIA HILL, OKLAHOMA CITY RESIDENT: It's been cold. My walls are wet. You blow smoke in the house, but I had on about four layers of clothes and blankets and I survived.
OPPENHEIM: Cynthia Hill is one of the lucky ones. After five days without electricity, her heat is finally backed on.
HILL: It just came back on about 20 minutes ago, and you'd have thought I won the lottery! I'm happy!
OPPENHEIM: President Bush declared a state of emergency earlier this week, making the state eligible for federal aid. Utility workers from at least six surrounding states are helping out.
BRENT SWADLEY, UTILITY WORKER: Yes. Thanks for your hard work.
OPPENHEIM: Every day has brought steady progress in restoring power. The tired crews have had little time to prepare for this storm.
SWADLEY: Trying to replace a lot of polls right now. The trees are horrible. We got about 25 to 35 mile-an-hour wind coming in. Next 24 hours, we're trying to prepare for that and get the trees cut back as we can right now.
OPPENHEIM: With up to six inches of new snow expected in some parts of the state, utility workers from Texas might find themselves spending the holidays away from home.
TERRY TRULL, UTILITY WORKER: At least another week, maybe a bit longer. Just depends on how long it takes to get all these people back on.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
OPPENHEIM: Just to give you a sense, Fredricka, of how tough it's been, schools have been pretty much closed all week in many parts of Oklahoma.
But the hope is that next week things will start to get back to normal. The only problem is that out of those 125,000 homes and businesses still without power, could still take a few days before those are back online -- back to you.
WHITFIELD: All right, pretty miserable. Let's hope it gets better next week. Thanks so much, Keith.
The Northeast also waiting for more snow. So take a look at this, what they are dealing with already. This video from i-Reporter Max Codax in Massachusetts. Take a look at that car swerving on the snow almost hitting the bus. Well you saw it a moment ago. And now, just looking from his apartment window, he sees all the cars that are stuck trying to get out of those spaces. And finally get to the main thoroughfare there. But it's slow going, real bad mess.
I-Reporter Ben Vouk also says traffic has been backed up all over the city of Worcester. He took these photos for us and he says people abandoned their cars because they simply couldn't get through the snow nor through the ice.
Check in with Bonnie Schneider. This is your neck of the woods. You like this, don't you?
(WEATHER REPORT)
WHITFIELD: Let's talk politics now, turning to presidential campaigns. And Republican Rudy Giuliani was on the stump in Florida today. He gave what his campaign called a major speech on his vision for the country. Giuliani promised victory in Iraq and Afghanistan, an end to wasteful spending in Washington and energy independence and secure borders. He promised to lead America with optimism, determination and what he called distinctly American solutions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUDY GIULIANI (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If you are looking for perfection, you're not going to find it, not in me, not in any candidate. But if you are looking for a leader who has been tested in times of crisis, a leader who is ready to lead right now, a leader who has achieved results, results that some people thought were impossible. A leader who believes that there is no problem too difficult for American solutions and a free American spirit, I believe I am that leader.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: So Florida's primary scheduled for January 29th.
Meantime, Senator John McCain is a decorated war veteran himself. But when you are campaigning in South Carolina, you can never line up too much military support. At a news conference in Columbia just a short time ago, McCain announced that he's been endorsed by more than 100 retired admirals and generals. A CNN poll released yesterday shows that McCain is running fifth in South Carolina's upcoming Republican presidential primary. He is trailing Huckabee, Thompson, Giuliani and Romney in that order.
And, of course, the Iowa caucuses are less than a month away. And it is anyone's guess who will win there. Just ask former President Bill Clinton. Charlie Rose did. Last night on PBS, Clinton admitted he never thought hawkeye voters would favor his wife. Well now he says it's a miracle she has a chance to actually win there. CNN's Jessica Yellin looks at the Clinton strategy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Over and over, Senator Clinton made the case that she is the most electable Democrat.
SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have an opportunity here in Iowa, and then in the succeeding contest, to nominate the person we think is best able to win. I'm battle-tested, I can withstand what is going to inevitably be the Republican attacks on whoever we nominate.
YELLIN: From the same stage, a key Des Moines congressman endorsed her, echoing that message.
REP. LEONARD BOSWELL (D), IOWA: We endorse Hillary because we want to win.
YELLIN: It's an appeal to frustrated Democrats whose desire to take back the White House might override their urge to choose the candidate they like the best, and a new ad works to soften her image, portraying her as a warm person who understands voters' problems.
CLINTON: My mom taught me to stand up for myself and to stand up for those who can't do it on their own.
YELLIN: Clinton aggressively distanced herself from a former campaign official's comments about Barack Obama's past drug use, but she also insisted if she's the nominee, there will be no surprises.
CLINTON: I'm a known quantity, I am tested and vetted.
YELLIN: She insists that's not a veiled criticism of Senator Obama. Senator Clinton brought with her two farmers from New York State. They are going to travel through Iowa on her behalf. It's part of a new effort by the campaign to bring out real people, including some of the senator's family members, who will testify about the difference she's made in their lives. Jessica Yellin, CNN, Des Moines, Iowa.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And the Iowa caucuses are January 3rd. That's the earliest ever with both party nominations up for grabs right now. T.J. Holmes will be anchoring from the hawkeye state tomorrow aboard the CNN Election Express. There you see it, in a very snowy area. It's a state of the art studio and production facility right on wheels. Just part of our effort to bring you the most complete political coverage on television.
Well, two weeks before the 2004 Iowa caucus and this guy was ahead. Remember this? Who can forget? We all know what happened to him. So can you trust the polls? We're keeping them honest.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: So Barack Obama may have Oprah Winfrey but John Edwards is bringing home the bacon -- Kevin Bacon. The actor is campaigning with Edwards in Iowa today. And actor Tim Robbins and Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne have also appeared with Edwards. So Kevin Bacon and John Edwards. Well wonder if Edwards knows Bacon has connections to a lot of Republicans as well. We couldn't resist playing six degrees. You know, Bacon was in the movie, he was also the subject of a college game called six degrees of separation. All right. Well, here we go. Kevin Bacon was in "Animal House" with Bruce McGill. Bruce McGill was in "Walker Texas Ranger" with Chuck Norris for one episode. And Norris campaigned for Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee. Well, let's move on.
The next one is pretty easy. Kevin Bacon was in "The River Wild" with Benjamin Bratt. Benjamin Bratt was in "Law & Order" with GOP contender Fred Thompson. You with me?
All right, so let's take it to the White House now. Kevin Bacon was in "Apollo 13" with Gary Sinese. Gary Sinise attended the 2005 inauguration of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. OK, this is fun. And then this one, though not very political, oh, but it's my favorite.
Kevin Bacon married to Kyra Sedgwick. Kyra Sedgwick stars in a TNT series called "The Closer." And TNT was started by Ted Turner as was CNN. Do you get it? Now do we get the reason why my picture is there, too? I'm an employee of CNN.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not bad. Four degrees from Kevin Bacon.
WHITFIELD: No political connection there, but we just wanted to keep the ball rolling. Follow the bouncing ball.
LEVS: It works. So you are only four degrees from Kevin Bacon. Technically I'm only three from Kyra Sedgwick. Not too bad, right?
WHITFIELD: OK there you go, Josh Levs.
LEVS: Can I just say, clearly, that was what John Edwards was hoping for today that by bringing on Kevin Bacon, CNN would give Republicans free publicity.
WHITFIELD: OK, well we brought you here to keep them all honest, including us. How did we do that? What you got on tap?
LEVS: That's pretty awesome. So we're taking a look at Iowa and the polls.
WHITFIELD: Yes, and do we believe them? Is there any real credence to them?
LEVS: Right, because it's like the nation's political obsession right now. Because that's the first contest. And whoever gets that can actually skyrocket and it can really help a lot. It seems like it can change everything, right?
But here's the thing. I've been looking at this. Now today what I'm doing, I was taking a look back. And I'm going to let you know right now whether the polls that you can see from Iowa really do predict what will happen there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MITT ROMNEY, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There we go. Thanks.
LEVS (voice-over): The final week before the pivotal Iowa caucuses, and if you believe the latest polls, Mike Huckabee is on the lead on the Republican side. While among Democrats, Barack Obama is neck and neck with Hillary Clinton.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I always knew it would be hard. There's no surprise about that.
LEVS: Could we easily see a surprise? Such as John Edwards winning, or do the poll as few weeks out accurately predict results? Let's look back. In 2004, just two weeks before the caucuses, Howard Dean led these polls followed by Dick Gephardt, then John Kerry, who went on to win in Iowa, while Gephardt dropped out and Dean, well -
HOWARD DEAN, DNC CHAIRMAN: Ah!
LEVS: But that doesn't mean the polls missed entirely. The week before the caucuses, these polls were showing Kerry having pulled up or even edging ahead. The polls following the trends as many undecided caucus- goers pick their candidates. But this year's contenders face a whole new challenge. The caucuses are more than two weeks earlier than last time. The January 3rd date means candidates have to contend with Christmas and New Year's.
No one wants to be the Grinch ruining the holidays by calling houses or knocking on doors during the respite voters are used to getting from the election onslaught. So, if campaigning slows down just days from now, do the feelings of caucus-goers freeze in place? If so, the candidates know the latest polls might not be so far off.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS: And of course, there are also other factors like the weather for example. If there is, let's say, a big blizzard January 3rd, right? Well then the results will be affected by who has the best infrastructure to make sure supporters still get out to the caucuses. Either way, Americans are keeping a close eye, Fred. They understand that for better or for worse, Iowa can help somebody skyrocket to the front of the pack.
WHITFIELD: Yes, something tells me at least for the Iowa caucuses, but the planners have put all those safeguards in place to make sure there's no reason why anyone can't get there and place their vote. Meantime, OK, so everyone knows the value of winning. But there is some value in coming in second as well?
LEVS: Right. And even following that is such a reminder of just how wild it is that this one state ends up having so much power. Just instead of a national primary we do it this way. This is a perfect example.
When you run in Iowa, it's a whole different animal. On the Democratic side you not only want to be the first choice, you want to be the second choice because the way these caucuses work, if people -- they basically go to the caucus. You choose your candidate. But if one candidate doesn't get enough people, he gets none of them and they all have to go to support somebody else. So then you are hoping that they'll be your second choice because you might have first gone for Edwards. But Clinton may be your second choice. So that means campaigning differently. It means not really criticizing that person's first choice. It means all these really funky dynamics that exist in Iowa specifically and only in Iowa in order to get that first victory.
WHITFIELD: Right, and by the way, you're not making any predictions or anything like that. You were just using them as examples.
LEVS: Oh, no, I'm just saying. They are already campaigning that way. That's what I'm saying. Like Obama, they understand. They have to be careful about criticizing their opponents because someone might like one person. If you criticize them they may not be your second choice anymore.
WHITFIELD: All right, Josh Levs, keeping them honest. Breaking it down for us, too.
LEVS: Best I can.
WHITFIELD: Appreciate it, thanks so much, Josh.
LEVS: Good six degrees, too. I love that.
WHITFIELD: Just for you.
LEVS: Just for me.
WHITFIELD: We'll take a look at what's happening across America right now. Volunteers are placing Christmas wreaths on graves at the Arlington National Cemetery today. For the 16th year, a Maine company donated 10,000 fir decorations there. Holiday wreaths are also placed at the tomb of the unknowns.
And this dog you are about to see right here made for that beautiful dog made for a great happy ending in Arkansas. So listen to this. The fire breaks out in a home. A mom finds her 2-year-old but she can't get to her 17-month-old in the choking smoke. Well, this pooch can and did save the day and the little one. The entire family, in fact.
And this 15-story building in Savannah, Georgia, kerplunk. Now a 25-foot pile of rubble. It took a demolition crew about eight seconds to bring it down there. Well, seniors called the apartment complex home until about three years ago when it was flooded. It has been vacant ever since.
Oh, Josh can't wait. He's already got his ticket. Yeah, for the Spice Girls, back on tour. Thousands of British fans get to enjoy the concert tonight. We're taking you to London next. That's video.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: Let's update one of our most popular stories from last month. Remember Lakshmi? The little girl who was born with eight arms and legs? Lakshmi went home from the hospital today just over a month after surgery. She's wearing braces on her two legs for now, but doctors say she should have no problem walking.
All right. The Spice Girls still zesty and tangy, they say. The ladies reunion tour landed in the U.K. tonight. And the first time all five spices have performed in Britain in a decade. This is the first time. CNN's Emily Chang is outside London's O2 arena.
EMILY CHANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're at the O2 arena where thousands of fans cannot wait to see the Spice Girls perform. This is the first time they are performing together here in the U.K. in nine years. Tickets to this show sold out in 39 seconds.
The Spice Girls had only planned to do one show in London, but they decided to add a few more shows and a few more shows. They've sold out now 17 shows in London alone. That's 18,000 tickets per show.
Now the Spice Girls touched down in London at Heathrow Airport yesterday. They were greeted by hundreds of fans. Baby Spice, Emma Bunton, hobbled off the plane on crutches. Apparently she sprained her ankle at a show in Las Vegas, but she assured fans that David Beckham's doctor is taking very good care of her. She will be performing here tonight but maybe not in some of the dance numbers.
David Beckham of course will be here supporting his wife, Victoria Beckham, otherwise known as Posh Spice. We're told the Spice Girls have set up a nursery backstage to care for their children.
Four out of five of them are now mothers. When they decided to do this reunion, there was a lot of talk about whether or not they could re-create the magic. Could they still sing? Could they still dance? And the reviews in fact have been largely positive. Critics say they really have accomplished what they set out to do. The show is very entertaining. And it's quite a spectacle. The Spice Girls performing more than 20 songs. A lot of their old hits and certainly thousands of fans very excited to see what they have to bring to London tonight. Emily Chang, CNN, London.
WHITFIELD: All right more serious news straight ahead. Here in this country, a wife gone without a trace. A husband suspected. Our legal guys take a peek into Drew Peterson's past and future.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: A quick look at what's happening right now. Pakistan's state of emergency over. President Pervez Musharraf lifted his six-week-old decree today and promised that next month's scheduled elections will be free and fair.
After dumping up to a foot of snow in the Midwest in this country, a new winter storm is working its way east. It could reach New England early tomorrow. Bonnie Schneider is in the Weather Center. A New Yorker or New Englander, shall I say, too. And you wish you were home.
(WEATHER REPORT)
WHITFIELD: All right, time for a legal brief. Is Drew Peterson just unlucky in love or is something more sinister going on? Well, the search goes on for the fourth Mrs. Peterson. Her husband says he is the victim. Our legal guys will be here in a minute to discuss the case and others.
But first, CNN's Gary Tuchman has the latest from suburban Chicago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Drew Peterson's fourth wife Stacy, gone without a trace.
DREW PETERSON, SUSPECT: I'm a suspect officially, but I think I was a suspect from the beginning.
TUCHMAN: His third wife died mysteriously in a bathtub. His second wife divorced him, telling the Chicago "Tribune" he said he could kill her and make it look like an accident.
(on camera): Your married to Drew Peterson's first wife.
DAVE BROWN, HUSBAND OF PETERSON'S FIRST WIFE: That's right.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): And now, we're learning about his first marriage from a man who has been married for 26 years to the former Carol Peterson.
(on camera): When she talks to you about her marriage to Drew, I mean, how does she characterize that marriage?
BROWN: Well, it's really been a long time since we talked about it. It was just -- it was normal except for, you know, his unfaithfulness. That's what broke them up. Otherwise, it was normal. There was no violence of any kind, not even any threatening.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): That is what passes for good news these days for Drew Peterson, who makes some effort to live a normal life in his suburban Chicago home with his dog and four children: two from his marriage with missing Stacy and two from his marraige with third wife, Kathleen Salvio. Her body has been exhumed because an investigation has been reopened into her death.
Pam Bosco was the legal guardian of Stacy Peterson's younger sister Cassandra and one of Stacy's closest friends.
(on camera): Stacy knew that his third wife was found dead. Was she ever concerned about that?
PAMELA BOSCO, FRIEND OF STACY PETERSON: She told us that Drew had told her that she was on medication and Kathleen was on medication. She stood up and got dizzy and she slipped and hit her head. And Stacy at that young naive age, she believed it.
TUCHMAN: Did you ever doubt that story?
BOSCO: Right from the start. When I first heard it, I turned to Cassandra, I said, he killed her.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Divers have searched a canal system near the Peterson home for a body and evidence. Others have joined in for land searches. But so far, nothing.
(on camera): What kind of guy is Drew Peterson?
JOEL BRODSKY, PETERSON'S ATTORNEY: Isn't that the $64,000 question.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Peterson's attorney says while he may not have been the most loyal husband to his wives, Peterson is not a killer. As a matter of fact, Peterson is saying Stacy called him to say she's left for another man.
BRODSKY: You think if she's anywhere, maybe she's tending bar in Saskatchewan or you know, Nome, Alaska, or somewhere south, an island off Cancun or something. But certainly, she's not hiding in a bush a couple hundred yards from his house.
PETERSON: Am I worried about her and her safety -- yes. I have been from the beginning.
TUCHMAN (on camera): If Drew Peterson's denials are true, he would be one of the unluckier husbands in matrimonial history, with wives dying, disappearing, and denouncing him. But that's his story and he's sticking to it.
(voice-over): But he remains a suspect, the only suspect.
Gary Tuchman, CNN, Bolingbrook, Illinois.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right, this is one heck of a mystery this year. All right, Avery Friedman is a civil rights attorney and law professor. He joins us now. Good to see you.
AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Hi, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Richard Herman is a New York criminal defense attorney and law professor. Good to see you as well.
RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Hi, Avery, hi, Fred.
WHITFIELD: OK, let's talk about this Drew Peterson case. Boy, this is just getting more and more bizarre by the minute. So now, in addition to all that we just saw from Gary Tuchman's piece, apparently he is soliciting funds for his legal defense fund. But we see that happen all the time, Richard. What's the matter with that? You need money for your defense. HERMAN: Fred, there's nothing -- there's nothing wrong with that. I mean, he solicited his attorney from television. That's how this Joel Brodsky got involved in the case. Peterson was on the air seeking an attorney to represent him. I don't think he's getting paid anything for this, doing (ph) pro bona (ph) for this guy.
There's nothing wrong with raising funds. There is no case right now. All this craziness, his insanities, ex-wives talking about him have absolutely nothing to do with this case. It's not admissable. This crazy scenario, this minister, this alleged minister. I saw him on TV. Looked like he was 15-years-old. He was meeting her in a coffee shop, not at the church.
FRIEDMAN: So what?
HERMAN: Not at the church, not at the church. She met him one day, she rode on a motorcycle with a bikini top and met him to talk to him. It's ridiculous. This guy has got to leave town and shut his mouth.
WHITFIELD: Oh, the details that you remember, Richard -- Avery?
FRIEDMAN: I'm trying to follow this thing. Look it -- the fact is that every day, more and more evidence has developed. I mean, look, Peterson gets on television ...
WHITFIELD: Really? Like what evidence?
HERMAN: No evidence.
FRIEDMAN: One step at a time. Look, you know, no one is going to give up. I mean, Saskatchewan? Oh, my goodness gracious. Peterson is talking about interfering with his dating, social life. Look, the police are ...
HERMAN: That's not evidence.
FRIEDMAN: ...not going to let this go. We've got a while to go. They're going to get this guy.
WHITFIELD: All right, well, let's shift gears because I have a feeling this case is going to go on for a bit, too.
FRIEDMAN: Well, sure.
WHITFIELD: Let's talk about steroids, this George Mitchell Report. So I wonder, Avery, you know, is George Mitchell on shaky legal ground meaning, how can this information actually be used in a court of law? Is that where we're going?
FRIEDMAN: Well, they shouldn't call it the Mitchell Report. They should call it the hearsay report because it's hearsay on hearsay on hearsay. I read all 408 pages. None of it gets in. Maybe Jason Giambi, but that's of limited value. This case legally is going nowhere. WHITFIELD: All right. So, Richard, would this report in any way impact Barry Bonds' case? No, it's not the use of steroids that he's, you know, facing in terms of charges. It's perjury. But how might this report impact him, if at all?
HERMAN: It doesn't impact his criminal case, but it does impact the sports writers and the Hall of Fame for all these guys. I mean, fans of baseball across the world are shattered when they hear these kind of numbers, these reports. And you are not going to see any defamation cases brought by any of the athletes ...
FRIEDMAN: Exactly.
HERMAN: ...because that just opens the door to truth being the defense. You get to get all their medical records and you get to see really what they were doing.
FRIEDMAN: Right.
HERMAN: I mean, Roger Clemens, his fastball was faster, later in his career than it was in the early days. Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonds, Barry Bonds ...
WHITFIELD: And you can't just chalk that up to experience?
FRIEDMAN: No legal significance, no legal significance. That's all. It was done for the commissioner. Game over.
WHITFIELD: All right, let's move on now to something right in your backyard, Richard. And this about ladies' night and you know, half price for drinks for ladies. Ladies get in free. This case actually in Manhattan where a restauranteur or a restaurant goer says, wait a minute, this is blasphemous. It's not fair, it's discrimination that I can't get in free just like the ladies do. Where is this case going? And is anyone taking it seriously?
HERMAN: I don't think anyone is taking it seriously.
FRIEDMAN: I am.
HERMAN: It was brought by ...
WHITFIELD: You are?
FRIEDMAN: I am. Go ahead, let me hear your explanation. Then, I'll give you the law.
HERMAN: OK -- it was -- meanwhile, it'll be dismissed. That's the bottom line.
WHITFIELD: OK.
HERMAN: And hear it is -- this guy is disgruntled. He goes into these places. So what if they let them in for free or they give them free drinks.
FRIEDMAN: No.
HERMAN: That just brings more women to the clubs. It's not discrimination.
WHITFIELD: Yes, so Avery, how is it any different from kids eat free? What's the difference, what's the big deal is?
HERMAN: Exactly.
FRIEDMAN: The difference is when Congress and the legislature in Albany passed a law saying no discrimination based on gender. Unless they make an exception in the law, believe it or not, these people are going to win the case.
WHITFIELD: Wow.
HERMAN: These are promotions only. These are only promotions, that's all they are.
FRIEDMAN: It doesn't matter. What are you going to have, a whites only or blacks only? Come on, come on.
HERMAN: No, not at all.
FRIEDMAN: It's against the law and you want to know something? The people that challenge ladies' night only are going to wind up winning in court.
WHITFIELD: Yes -- all right, gang. We're going to talk to you again next weekend. We'll have more hot stuff, hot cases for you to pounce on.
FRIEDMAN: You bet, yes.
WHITFIELD: Avery, Richard, thanks so much, have a great weekend.
HERMAN: See you, take care, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right, check your calendar. Maybe you don't need to. Ten days until Christmas. And a lot of you still pretty confused about what toys in particular are safe. We're taking our questions to the top, the head of FAO Schwartz straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, Thomas the Tank Engine, Elmo, Curious George, your child's best friend? Now at the top of a toy recall list and your worst enemy. We all work so hard to keep our children safe. It's unthinkable that their toys might be toxic. Well, a pair of young mothers decided they had had enough.
Here now is CNN's Kara Finnstrom.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LISA BUCK, MOTHER: I actually called my mom saying, do I have to get rid of everything from my older kids because I don't know what has lead in it, you know, what has been tested?
KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Mom Lisa Buck is in the swelling ranks of shoppers searching for toys without made in China labels. How hard has it been for you to find toys that don't have that label on it?
BUCK: Well, yes, except for one catalog that I know about it, it's very difficult.
FINNSTROM: Difficult because about 80 percent of toys in American stores are made in China. So, parents inundated with the recalls of Chinese toys containing lead, other toxins and dangerous magnets are looking for alternatives. Buck found this store.
SOLEIL MOON FRYE, SHOP OWNER: We're looking around and realizing what is in our children's toys. What are the toxins that are in our environment and it's a time in this country where we really need to ask questions.
FINNSTROM: Expectant mom and actress Soleil Moon Frye and mom Page Tolmack (ph) just opened this store which touts toxin-free toys.
PAGE TOLMACK: Things like play dough, they're going to end up putting in their mouth. They're going to use with their hands and put their hands in their mouth, it's non-toxic. It's absolutely safe for our babies to play with.
FINNSTROM: Consumer advocates charged the U.S. agency responsible for keeping watch over our kids' toys is overwhelmed.
JEAN HALLORAN, CONSUMERS UNION: Unfortunately our Consumer Product Safety Commission has been cut back to almost nothing. They have half the staff they had 30 years ago and twice the job.
FINNSTROM: Even the head of the commission, in testimony before Congress admitted it couldn't keep up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you know what percentage of the toys get tested now?
NANCY NORD, CPSC CHAIRWOMAN: Get tested for lead paint?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
NORD: No, I don't.
FINNSTROM: So consumer advocates encourage parents to do their own homework. Many Web sites have popped up, cataloguing non-toxic toys. Even Toys "R" Us now offer toy list with country of origin information.
DR. ROBERT ADLER, CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL LOS ANGELES: The problem with lead is that it does accumulate in certain tissues.
FINNSTROM: Pediatrician Dr. Robert Adler says lead levels in toys alone are usually not high enough to pose a threat, but he says if children are also exposed to other lead sources like old paint, the cumulative effect could be dangerous.
ADLER: Lead seems to have an effect on the growing brain. And because brain growth so much of it occurs at a young age that that has its biggest impact. So lead will interfere with normal development.
BUCK: Obviously, now, with my newest one, I'm going to protect him in a different way that I never even thought that I would have to do.
FINNSTROM: Buck says when her two oldest boys were babies, Christmas shopping was carefree. Now, she's looking for much more than the latest hit toy.
Kara Finnstrom for CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Well, retailers have been fairly quick to respond to worried shoppers. For example, the FAO Schwartz Web site allows online shoppers to filter their toy selection by country of origin. And that's not all the store is doing. We spoke with the CEO Ed Schmults in New York about how his store has been affected.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED SCHMULTS, CEO, FAO SCHWARTZ: We've been fortunate in that we focus on higher quality goods. So other than Thomas the Tank Engine, which was recalled in June and might have been the start of all of this, we haven't carried any of the mass items that were recalled over the summer and through the fall.
So, I am very proud of that of our focus on quality toys. And our business has been very strong. I think possibly in some measure because of the recalls, there's been a flight to quality and customers are speaking out FAO Schwartz.
WHITFIELD: Oh, OK. So, since you have the kind of, I guess, quality control that perhaps some of the other stores don't have because, as you underscore, you have mostly kind of high-end toys, what kind of increase are you seeing as a result of folks who say I'm no longer going to the kind of the mainstream stores because of these recalled items?
SCHMULTS: Well, we're up about 20 percent so far this year, which is a great performance. And I'm very pleased with that. I do want to clarify one thing. I wouldn't call our product mix high-end. We tend to focus on quality. And we've got grade A in $10 quality items.
I think the issue with the recalls, it tended to be companies, good companies that are making tens of millions of items. It's very hard to control a supply chain that big. Our typical vendor is much, much smaller. And so, making 10,000, 20,000 of an item, a little easier to control the supply chain and be sure of your raw materials and your manufacturing processes. WHITFIELD: OK, so are some of your customers looking for something very specific this holiday season since it seems as though some of the merchandise has been cut out in terms of -- on their wish list?
SCHMULTS: Well, we haven't seen a big change in consumer behavior, which frankly, I was very surprised by. We put out a lot of information on our Web site. We have a toy buying guide. And you can search by country of origin. So, toys made in the U.S. or made in Germany or England or Israel or Kenya or China. In our stores, we -- the toy buying guide is posted and we also put up country of origin signs on major brands that weren't made in China to provide that information.
But we really didn't see a change in customer buying behavior at FAO Schwartz. I can't speak for other vendors. But with us, customers continue to buy what we plan to have in stock and no discernible change in buying patterns.
WHITFIELD: Do you feel like your toy store and perhaps others are kind of getting a bad wrap because there are a lot of buyers who say, you know what, I'm not going to a toy store at all because I can't keep up with the recalled items, and so I can't trust that the merchant has done the same?
SCHMULTS: Yes, I think so. Our focus on higher quality doesn't make us separate from the toy industry. We are part of the toy industry. And I think the entire toy industry has suffered from these tragic recalls. I am optimistic that a lot of people are really focused on this, including ourselves. The Toy Industry Association is asking for more government regulation.
When's the last time you heard an industry group asking for more government regulation? I think it's the right thing to do. And I'm optimistic that the issues affecting the toy industry are going to be dealt with rapidly and dealt with well.
WHITFIELD: So, what's the hot item in your toy store that everyone is clamoring to get this holiday?
SCHMULTS: We have a couple of items. One is this small microhelicopter. It doesn't have the battery in the helicopter. It's radio controlled. But you power it up and get about a ten-minute charge by powering it up off of the handset. And relatively simple controls, a little helicopter. Kids kind of eight and older. And you'd be surprised how many adults are buying this. I'm sure they are flying it around the office. It would be great for the studio there in Atlanta. I'm sure you'd have a lot of fun with it between sets.
WHITFIELD: All right, Ed Schmults, CEO of FAO Schwartz. Thanks so much, happy holidays.
SCHMULTS: Happy holidays to you too, Fredricka. Thanks so much.
(END VIDEOTAPE) WHITFIELD: And our special coverage, Trouble in Toyland continues all weekend long. Coming up at 4:00 Eastern, how can you tell if a toy is really made in the USA? Or elsewhere? We'll have that answer.
But first, a major city with a major monkey problem. Authorities, well, they are not monkeying around.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I'm CNN meteorologist Bonnie Schneider with a look at your cold and flu report for Saturday.
Looking across the country, we do have some regional outbreaks in and around Texas. Local outbreaks further off to the east and areas in the southwest. But mostly sporadic reports of the flu so far this season, especially in the northern tier of the country. We do have no activity reported in areas into the southeast, which is good news. So so far, we're where we should be per this cold and flu season.
I'm meteorologist Bonnie Schneider.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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WHITFIELD: All right, so you've heard of the Cheshire cat. Well, these felines are way better. Yes, they actually glow. You see that? They actually glow in the dark. Scientists in South Korea manipulated the genes of one cat and then created clones. The result is that all of them glow red under ultraviolet light. Yes, it's kind of creepy, too. But if you've ever stepped on a cat in the dark, you can see how this actually might be a good thing.
All right, monkey business now. In India, it is no laughing matter. In New Delhi alone, thousands of monkeys wander the streets creating a nuisance and sometimes, a danger. But as CNN's Cal Perry reports, not everyone agrees on what should be done.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAL PERRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At first glance monkeys living in a city with 13 million humans, crawling around the court district, sliding down poles with style, is aesthetically pleasing in some way. You do every once in a while catch a captivating glance in the middle of India's capital.
RAMAL LALA, MONKEY WRANGLER (through translator): The (INAUDIBLE) snatch food from inside the houses. They raid the houses in large numbers. Sometimes the brave ones will even bite.
PERRY: OK. So with the captivation apparently comes a very serious annoyance, and one the Indian government has been struggling to fix, for decades.
Their current push, men like Ramal and his partner Mungul (ph) literally walk the monkey beat on early morning in downtown Delhi.
LALA: We feed him well. He is like a member of a family. He is also my source of livelihood.
PERRY: The plan is pretty simple. Get the bigger monkeys to corral the smaller ones. Then move them to a reserve just outside Delhi. Some 600 have been moved in just over six months, according to the government. Or simply chase them off, with apparently the help of a large stick and a slingshot.
Ramal says it's just to scare them off. The monkey is revered in India, Hanaman (ph) a god. Some estimates put the monkey population in Delhi up to 10,000. But the government's current solution, for many, is questionable, to say the least.
DR. IQBAL MALIK, PRIMATOLOGIST: It's stupid. It is stupid plan. It is a ridiculous plan, and it's making the country look ridiculous in the eyes of the scientists of the world.
PERRY: And that from the leading primatologist in India. She's been involved in the problem for two decades, and she's also concerned about the humanity involved. This was my reaction to my telling her about Ramal and his slingshot, not to mention the reserve itself, called the Bakti (ph) Mines on the outskirts of Delhi. Dr. Malik believes that, too, is a disaster.
MALIK: I give list of Over 100 trees and plants were which supposed to be planted there before monkeys were to be released, and also converted into a monkey-proof area.
PERRY (on camera): You can see the green fence line of the Bakti reserve about an hour outside central Delhi, a place that's supposed to be the end of the line for the monkeys that wreak havoc across the metropolis. But as you can see, a simple green fence is no great feat for a monkey to overcome.
Cal Perry, CNN, Delhi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: That just adds to the obstacle course.
All right, well coming up at 4:00 Eastern in the NEWSROOM, a holiday tradition in trouble. Too many tots, not enough toys. Find out how you can help fill the gap.
And we'll check the top stories after a quick break. And then, it's CNN "SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT: Iran, Fact and Fiction."
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